Cut or Fill a shape with a paper?

[scrappinmint]

Can someone tell me how to cut out a custom shape or fill a custom shape with a paper in Photoshop CS2? Using the custom shape tool?

[proverbswoman]

Unfortunately, no, b/c I don't have CS2. But if you ever want to know how in PSE5, I'm your man (I mean woman!) LOL!

[scrappinmint]

Do you know how it's done in Elements? That may work for CS2 also. Some things are the done the same.

[Kami]

well there are a few ways you can do it!

you can draw the shape and fill it with a color (black) and then you can clip your paper to it- put the paper layer above the shape layer and hit ctrl-alt-G. i like this way because then you can move your paper around within the shape

or

you can make a selection of the shape path and "cut" the shape out of the paper- draw the shape then ctrl-click on the path layer (under the paths tab) and you'll get the running lines around the shape. then press ctrl-J and it will copy out the area that was selected on to a new layer.

i'm not sure if any of this makes sense! let me know!

[scrappinmint]

Thanks! That helped me figure it out. All I had to do was open my paper (background), creat a new layer, choose the custom shape tool, click the fill pixel button at the top (this is what I wasn't doing right) draw my shape, use the magic wand to select, select my background paper, inverse if needed and clear. Wellah! shape.
Now I'm addicted to a new process in photoshop.

[TammyKat]

sometimes u will get jaggies with the magic wand.

If you do..then you can just CTRL-Click on the shape you want to select then highlight the paper you want to cut the shape from... then hit CONTROL + J and it will cut it out and put it on a new layer for you and your original paper will still be intact.

[proverbswoman]

Patti, I'm so glad that got you some help. Our power went out last night, so I never got back on the computer. :)

[Neverland Scraps]

well there are a few ways you can do it!

you can draw the shape and fill it with a color (black) and then you can clip your paper to it- put the paper layer above the shape layer and hit ctrl-alt-G. i like this way because then you can move your paper around within the shape

or

you can make a selection of the shape path and "cut" the shape out of the paper- draw the shape then ctrl-click on the path layer (under the paths tab) and you'll get the running lines around the shape. then press ctrl-J and it will copy out the area that was selected on to a new layer.

i'm not sure if any of this makes sense! let me know!


When I do this, its jagged around the edges. Any way to soften the edges so they aren't so jagged?

[Neverland Scraps]

sometimes u will get jaggies with the magic wand.

If you do..then you can just CTRL-Click on the shape you want to select then highlight the paper you want to cut the shape from... then hit CONTROL + J and it will cut it out and put it on a new layer for you and your original paper will still be intact.


I should have gone down a little further for this answer!! Thanks!

[mikelinz]

U know the thing that confuses me most is that pse has this beautiful cookie cutter tool that works like a charm. Easy to use, no brainer. Then when they made cs they took it out and gave us the shape thingy. I have spent hours with that one trying to make it do what i want. I am pretty new to cs so the moment it says vector or mask i kind of freeze up. I mean cutting a star in elements was a breeze and now it seems to be a real drama. What were they thinking?

[tsavoie11]

The name vector shape just means that you can still change it, if you right click on the layer in the layers pallete you will have the option to rasterize layer....just choose that option and you will be working with the same "cookie cutter" shape as you have before!